Improvement in exhausting apparatus for gas-works



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.`

SAMUEL REEVE BRICK, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT lN EXHAUSTING APPARATUS FOR GAS-WORKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 101,348, dated March 29, 1870.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, SAMUEL REEVE BRICK, of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Exhausting Apparatus for Gas -Works, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists, iirst, in the co1nbination, substantially as described hereinafter, of a double-acting pump wit-h the pipe by which gas passesfrom the hydraulic main to the puritiers of gas-works, so that the gas may be exh austed from the retorts as fast as i t is generated, and so that the accumulation of incrustations inside the retorts may be thereby prevented; secondly, in an arrangement, described hereinafter, of the said double-acting pump, certain pipes, and a valve, so as to permit the gas to take a direct course from the hydraulic main to the purier should there be a temporary cessation ot' the pumping mechanism; thirdly,A

in a peculiar manner, described hereinafter, of constructing the interior of the cylinder and piston of the pump; i'ourthly, in a peculiar manner of hanging the valves of the pump, so that they can be easily operated; and, lifthly, in an arrangement of the outlet-brauch ot the cylinder ot the pump, whereby tar and other refuse which may collect therein is readily disposed of. v

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a vertical section of' my exhausting apparatus for gas-works 5 Fig. 2, a sectional plan of the same; Fig. 3, a vertical sect-ion on the line 1 2, Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a transverse lsection on the line 3 4., Fig. l, and Figs. 5 and diagrams illustrating the application of my invention.

If gas generated in a retort is permitted t0 remain therein under pressure an accumulation ot' tenacious carbonaceous 'matter takes place on the inner surface ofthe retort, and this incrustation has not only injurious effect on the gas itself, but is the principal cause ot' the rapid destruction ot' the retorts. Hence it has been customary in large gas-works to employ exhausting apparatus so connected with the pipe communicating with the. hydraulic main that the gas will be withdrawn from the retorts as fast as it is generated therein, the collection ot' the objectionable incrustation being thereby prevented.

The exhausting apparatushitherto employed for this purpose has consisted of arotary pump, which, however, can only be employed with advantage in large gas-works, on which account pensed with in the smallworksin country towns, where the loss by the rapid destruction ot retorts is consequently severely felt. More especallyis this the case with clayretorts, which, when properly exhausted, are more durable than iron, but which are soon destroyed when the incrustation is permitted to collect in them.

My invention has been especially designed with the view of furnishing small gas-works, where rotary exhausters would be impracticable,with efficient apparatus for withdrawing the gas from theretorts.

1n Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4, A represents a hollow cylinder, provided with suitable heads,a and a, the latter having a stuffing-box, through which passes a piston-rod, b, this rod being secured in the manner shown or in any other suitable manner to thelight, hollow, elongated piston B, which is somewhat smaller in diameter than the interior of the cylinder, excepting where it bears against the latter, for the cylinder is contracted at the middle to receive and serve as a guide for the pistou, and this contracted portion may have annular grooves for receiving packing. This, however, may be dispensed with if the piston be properly fitted to the said contracted portion of the cylinder. 0n one side of this cylinder are two branches, e and e', secured to and communicating with the chestD of the exhaust-valves, the said chest communieating through an opening, h, with the pipe leading from the hydraulic main of the gas- Works. On the opposite side of the cylinder are also two branches secured to and communicating with the chest D of the dischargevalves, the said chest also communicating with a branch, t', connected to the pipe which leads to the condenser.

The discharge-valves m m (best observed in Fig. 2) are hinged t0 inclined frames fn, a, so adapted to grooves in the chest D as to be readily withdrawn therefrom after the cover p of the chest has been removed. These valves are not h i n ged at their upperedgesto the fra-mes, as is usual in arranging ordinary clack-valves, but at such a distance from their upper edges that, while they have a tendency to remain in exhausting apparatus have been entirely discontact with their seats, they can be elevated by a very slight pressure of gas, the valves themselves being made of thin metal, so as to be as light as possible, and yield readily to the pressure of the gas.

It will be seen that the seat of the upper edge of each valveis at therear of the frame to which it is hung, while the seat for the lower edge is in front of the frame.

The exhaust-valves in the chest D are hung in a precisely similar manner, but are arranged at angles the reverse of those of the dischargevalves, the position of the exhaust-valves being indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The disposal ofthe above-described exhausting apparatus, or, as it may properly b e termed, double-actin g pump, isillustrated in the diagram, Fig. 6, where G G represent the pipe from the hydraulic main to the condensers. H is the pump, between which and the pipe G there is a communication through the exhaustpipeI, while the disch arge-pipe J affords a communication between the pump and the pipe G, the latter having,between the two pipes G and G,`a box, K, containing a light self-closing valve, Il.

As long as a reciprocating motion is imparted to the piston B the gas will be vexhausted from the retorts through the pipes G and I` and forced through the pipes J and G but should there be altemporary cessation in the operation of the pump thegas will raise the valve `L and will pass directly through the pipes G G.

Small quantities of tar would be apt to accumulate on the cylinder and interfere with the free workin g ofthe piston,but the taris scraped, as it were, from the latter by the ledges which occur on the cylinder, where the latter is contracted. It will be observed, too, in reference to Fig. 4, that the discharge-branchfis lower at the bottom than theinlet-branch e. Hence the tar and other refuse has a tendency ofitself to flow from the cylinder.

I claim- Y l. The combination, substantially as described, of a double'acting pump with the pipe communicating between the hydraulic main and the purifiers of gas-works.

2. rIhe within-described arrangement of the pipeG G, its sel f-closing valve L, pipes I and J, and double-acting pump.

3. The combination of the hollow piston B with the cylinder A, having a portion of its in terior contracted to receive the said piston.

4:. The valves m hung, in the manner described, to the frames n.

5. The arrangement described of the outletbranch fof the cylinder A in respect to the latter and to the inlet-branches.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribin g witnesses.

SAMUEL REEVE BRICK.

Witnesses:

J. W. COLGAN, HARRY SMITH. 

